AltroCirco is the new project of Association Giocolieri & Dintorni for the development and acknowledgement of Social Circus in Italy. It has the ambition of connecting the associations and individuals working with Social Circus in Italy, in order to support a common process of growth and promote circus as an instrument of social transformation. AltroCirco has the following mission:  

1.    To abet the debate and dialogue between operators, artists and educators of social circus projects: AltroCirco aims to connect social circus projects in Italy, fostering a common understanding of social circus and the sharing of best practices and methodologies. These are pivotal elements to allow the professionalization of this sector of artistic and social intervention. The National Register of Social Circus Projects will represent the first tool to start the collaboration and exchange between associations and operators.

2.    To develop research projects on social circus in Italy: through its Centre for Research and Study AltroCirco will develop scientific research projects in a national as well as comparative perspective, in order to take active part in the debates unfolding at the global level. Evaluation research, in particular, will foster the development of guidelines to understand and scientifically measure the impact of the projects. This will in turn grant a growing acknowledgement of our activities.

3.    To support the acknowledgement of social circus methodologies and best practices:  AltroCirco aims to promote the recognition of circus as a social and educational tool within Italian public institutions. As such, through the definition of the Code of Deontology and the Manifesto of Social Circus, AltroCirco lays the foundations for the development of a common, formally recognized methodology. This is a necessary step to encourage the collaboration with public and private institutions and to carry out projects at the national level, involving local associations.

4.    To define a long-term training program for social circus operators: AltroCirco plans and realizes training programs addressed to artists, educators and teachers, through intensive workshops and learning tracks of different levels and duration. These trainings have a twofold purpose: to increase pedagogical expertise in circus techniques teaching; and to improve knowledge and awareness of social and relational skills.

5.     To create synergies and partnerships with other realities in Italy and abroad: in the last years the members of AltroCirco have established connections and partnerships with Italian and international networks in the field of circus, the arts and education. These collaborations are underpinned by the common need to activate a network of exchange of best practices, develop research in this domain, improve the working conditions of the professionals in this sector, and find solutions to the lack of acknowledgement of the arts as an instrument of social empowerment. In order to enhance the use of the arts as a pivotal factor of inclusion and social integration, AltroCirco aims to reinforce these partnerships and develop new shared projects, accessing local, national and European funds,.

Empoli, March 2014
The founders of AltroCirco